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[bpt/emacs.git] / man / xresources.texi
1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003,
3 @c 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node X Resources, Antinews, Emacs Invocation, Top
6 @appendix X Options and Resources
7
8 You can customize some X-related aspects of Emacs behavior using X
9 resources, as is usual for programs that use X. On MS-Windows, you
10 can customize some of the same aspects using the system registry.
11 @xref{MS-Windows Registry}. Likewise, Emacs on MacOS Carbon emulates X
12 resources using the Preferences system. @xref{Mac Environment Variables}.
13
14 When Emacs is built using an ``X toolkit'', such as Lucid or
15 LessTif, you need to use X resources to customize the appearance of
16 the widgets, including the menu-bar, scroll-bar, and dialog boxes.
17 This is because the libraries that implement these don't provide for
18 customization through Emacs. GTK+ widgets use a separate system of
19 @ifnottex
20 ``GTK resources'', which we will also describe.
21 @end ifnottex
22 @iftex
23 ``GTK resources.'' In this chapter we describe the most commonly used
24 resource specifications. For full documentation, see the online
25 manual.
26
27 @c Add xref for LessTif/Motif menu resources.
28 @end iftex
29
30
31 @menu
32 * Resources:: Using X resources with Emacs (in general).
33 * Table of Resources:: Table of specific X resources that affect Emacs.
34 * Face Resources:: X resources for customizing faces.
35 * Lucid Resources:: X resources for Lucid menus.
36 * LessTif Resources:: X resources for LessTif and Motif menus.
37 * GTK resources:: Resources for GTK widgets.
38 @end menu
39
40 @node Resources
41 @appendixsec X Resources
42 @cindex resources
43 @cindex X resources
44 @cindex @file{~/.Xdefaults} file
45 @cindex @file{~/.Xresources} file
46
47 Programs running under the X Window System organize their user
48 options under a hierarchy of classes and resources. You can specify
49 default values for these options in your X resources file, usually
50 named @file{~/.Xdefaults} or @file{~/.Xresources}.
51 If changes in @file{~/.Xdefaults} do not
52 take effect, it is because your X server stores its own list of
53 resources; to update them, use the shell command @command{xrdb}---for
54 instance, @samp{xrdb ~/.Xdefaults}.
55
56 Each line in the file specifies a value for one option or for a
57 collection of related options, for one program or for several programs
58 (optionally even for all programs).
59
60 @cindex Registry (MS-Windows)
61 MS-Windows systems don't support @file{~/.Xdefaults} files, but
62 Emacs compiled for Windows looks for X resources in the Windows
63 Registry, under the key @samp{HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs}
64 and then under the key @samp{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\GNU\Emacs}.
65 The menu and scroll bars are native widgets on MS-Windows, so they are
66 only customizable via the system-wide settings in the Display Control
67 Panel. You can also set resources using the @samp{-xrm} command line
68 option (see below.)
69
70 @iftex
71 Applications such as Emacs look for resources with specific names
72 and their particular meanings. Case distinctions are significant in
73 these names. Each resource specification in @file{~/.Xdefaults}
74 states the name of the program and the name of the resource. For
75 Emacs, the program name is @samp{Emacs}. It looks like this:
76
77 @example
78 Emacs.borderWidth: 2
79 @end example
80 @end iftex
81 @ifnottex
82 Programs define named resources with particular meanings. They also
83 define how to group resources into named classes. For instance, in
84 Emacs, the @samp{internalBorder} resource controls the width of the
85 internal border, and the @samp{borderWidth} resource controls the width
86 of the external border. Both of these resources are part of the
87 @samp{BorderWidth} class. Case distinctions are significant in these
88 names.
89
90 Every resource definition is associated with a specific program
91 name---the name of the executable file that you ran. For Emacs, that
92 is normally @samp{emacs}. To specify a definition for all instances
93 of Emacs, regardless of their names, use @samp{Emacs}.
94
95 In @file{~/.Xdefaults}, you can specify a value for a single resource
96 on one line, like this:
97
98 @example
99 emacs.borderWidth: 2
100 @end example
101
102 @noindent
103 Or you can use a class name to specify the same value for all resources
104 in that class. Here's an example:
105
106 @example
107 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
108 @end example
109
110 If you specify a value for a class, it becomes the default for all
111 resources in that class. You can specify values for individual
112 resources as well; these override the class value, for those particular
113 resources. Thus, this example specifies 2 as the default width for all
114 borders, but overrides this value with 4 for the external border:
115
116 @example
117 emacs.BorderWidth: 2
118 emacs.borderWidth: 4
119 @end example
120 @end ifnottex
121
122 The order in which the lines appear in the file does not matter.
123 Also, command-line options always override the X resources file.
124
125 @ifnottex
126 Here is a list of X command-line options and their corresponding
127 resource names.
128
129 @table @samp
130 @item -name @var{name}
131 @opindex --name
132 @itemx --name=@var{name}
133 @cindex resource name, command-line argument
134 Use @var{name} as the resource name (and the title) for the initial
135 Emacs frame. This option does not affect subsequent frames, but Lisp
136 programs can specify frame names when they create frames.
137
138 If you don't specify this option, the default is to use the Emacs
139 executable's name as the resource name.
140
141 @item -xrm @var{resource-values}
142 @opindex --xrm
143 @itemx --xrm=@var{resource-values}
144 @cindex resource values, command-line argument
145 Specify X resource values for this Emacs job (see below).
146 @end table
147
148 For consistency, @samp{-name} also specifies the name to use for
149 other resource values that do not belong to any particular frame.
150
151 The resources that name Emacs invocations also belong to a class; its
152 name is @samp{Emacs}. If you write @samp{Emacs} instead of
153 @samp{emacs}, the resource applies to all frames in all Emacs jobs,
154 regardless of frame titles and regardless of the name of the executable
155 file. Here is an example:
156
157 @example
158 Emacs.BorderWidth: 2
159 Emacs.borderWidth: 4
160 @end example
161
162 You can specify a string of additional resource values for Emacs to
163 use with the command line option @samp{-xrm @var{resources}}. The text
164 @var{resources} should have the same format that you would use inside a file
165 of X resources. To include multiple resource specifications in
166 @var{resources}, put a newline between them, just as you would in a file.
167 You can also use @samp{#include "@var{filename}"} to include a file full
168 of resource specifications. Resource values specified with @samp{-xrm}
169 take precedence over all other resource specifications.
170
171 One way to experiment with the effect of different resource settings
172 is to use the @code{editres} program. Select @samp{Get Tree} from the
173 @end ifnottex
174 @iftex
175 You can experiment with the effect of different resource settings
176 with the @code{editres} program. Select @samp{Get Tree} from the
177 @end iftex
178 @samp{Commands} menu, then click on an Emacs frame. This will display
179 a tree showing the structure of X toolkit widgets used in an Emacs
180 frame. Select one of them, such as @samp{menubar}, then select
181 @samp{Show Resource Box} from the @samp{Commands} menu. This displays
182 a list of all the meaningful X resources for that widget, and allows
183 you to edit them. Changes take effect when you click on the
184 @samp{Apply} button. (See the @code{editres} man page for more
185 details.)
186
187 @node Table of Resources
188 @appendixsec Table of X Resources for Emacs
189
190 This table lists the resource names that designate options for
191 Emacs, not counting those for the appearance of the menu bar, each
192 with the class that it belongs to:
193
194 @table @asis
195 @item @code{background} (class @code{Background})
196 Background color name.
197
198 @ifnottex
199 @item @code{bitmapIcon} (class @code{BitmapIcon})
200 Use a bitmap icon (a picture of a gnu) if @samp{on}, let the window
201 manager choose an icon if @samp{off}.
202 @end ifnottex
203
204 @item @code{borderColor} (class @code{BorderColor})
205 Color name for the external border.
206
207 @ifnottex
208 @item @code{borderWidth} (class @code{BorderWidth})
209 Width in pixels of the external border.
210 @end ifnottex
211
212 @item @code{cursorColor} (class @code{Foreground})
213 Color name for text cursor (point).
214
215 @ifnottex
216 @item @code{cursorBlink} (class @code{CursorBlink})
217 Specifies whether to make the cursor blink. The default is @samp{on}. Use
218 @samp{off} or @samp{false} to turn cursor blinking off.
219 @end ifnottex
220
221 @item @code{font} (class @code{Font})
222 Font name (or fontset name, @pxref{Fontsets}) for @code{default} font.
223
224 @item @code{foreground} (class @code{Foreground})
225 Color name for text.
226
227 @item @code{geometry} (class @code{Geometry})
228 Window size and position. Be careful not to specify this resource as
229 @samp{emacs*geometry}, because that may affect individual menus as well
230 as the Emacs frame itself.
231
232 If this resource specifies a position, that position applies only to the
233 initial Emacs frame (or, in the case of a resource for a specific frame
234 name, only that frame). However, the size, if specified here, applies to
235 all frames.
236
237 @ifnottex
238 @item @code{fullscreen} (class @code{Fullscreen})
239 The desired fullscreen size. The value can be one of @code{fullboth},
240 @code{fullwidth} or @code{fullheight}, which correspond to
241 the command-line options @samp{-fs}, @samp{-fw}, and @samp{-fh}
242 (@pxref{Window Size X}).
243
244 Note that this applies to the initial frame only.
245 @end ifnottex
246
247 @item @code{iconName} (class @code{Title})
248 Name to display in the icon.
249
250 @item @code{internalBorder} (class @code{BorderWidth})
251 Width in pixels of the internal border.
252
253 @item @code{lineSpacing} (class @code{LineSpacing})
254 @cindex line spacing
255 @cindex leading
256 Additional space (@dfn{leading}) between lines, in pixels.
257
258 @item @code{menuBar} (class @code{MenuBar})
259 @cindex menu bar
260 Give frames menu bars if @samp{on}; don't have menu bars if @samp{off}.
261 @ifnottex
262 @xref{Lucid Resources}, and @ref{LessTif Resources},
263 @end ifnottex
264 @iftex
265 @xref{Lucid Resources},
266 @end iftex
267 for how to control the appearance of the menu bar if you have one.
268
269 @ifnottex
270 @item @code{minibuffer} (class @code{Minibuffer})
271 If @samp{none}, don't make a minibuffer in this frame.
272 It will use a separate minibuffer frame instead.
273
274 @item @code{paneFont} (class @code{Font})
275 @cindex font for menus
276 Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs.
277 @end ifnottex
278
279 @item @code{pointerColor} (class @code{Foreground})
280 Color of the mouse cursor.
281
282 @ifnottex
283 @item @code{privateColormap} (class @code{PrivateColormap})
284 If @samp{on}, use a private color map, in the case where the ``default
285 visual'' of class PseudoColor and Emacs is using it.
286
287 @item @code{reverseVideo} (class @code{ReverseVideo})
288 Switch foreground and background default colors if @samp{on}, use colors as
289 specified if @samp{off}.
290 @end ifnottex
291
292 @item @code{screenGamma} (class @code{ScreenGamma})
293 @cindex gamma correction
294 Gamma correction for colors, equivalent to the frame parameter
295 @code{screen-gamma}.
296
297 @item @code{scrollBarWidth} (class @code{ScrollBarWidth})
298 @cindex scrollbar width
299 The scroll bar width in pixels, equivalent to the frame parameter
300 @code{scroll-bar-width}.
301
302 @ifnottex
303 @item @code{selectionFont} (class @code{SelectionFont})
304 Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions of Emacs. (For
305 toolkit versions, see @ref{Lucid Resources}, also see @ref{LessTif
306 Resources}.)
307
308 @item @code{selectionTimeout} (class @code{SelectionTimeout})
309 Number of milliseconds to wait for a selection reply.
310 If the selection owner doesn't reply in this time, we give up.
311 A value of 0 means wait as long as necessary.
312
313 @item @code{synchronous} (class @code{Synchronous})
314 @cindex debugging X problems
315 @cindex synchronous X mode
316 Run Emacs in synchronous mode if @samp{on}. Synchronous mode is
317 useful for debugging X problems.
318 @end ifnottex
319
320 @item @code{title} (class @code{Title})
321 Name to display in the title bar of the initial Emacs frame.
322
323 @item @code{toolBar} (class @code{ToolBar})
324 @cindex tool bar
325 Number of lines to reserve for the tool bar. A zero value suppresses
326 the tool bar. If the value is non-zero and
327 @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is non-@code{nil}, the tool bar's size
328 will be changed automatically so that all tool bar items are visible.
329 If the value of @code{auto-resize-tool-bars} is @code{grow-only},
330 the tool bar expands automatically, but does not contract automatically.
331 To contract the tool bar, you must redraw the frame by entering @kbd{C-l}.
332
333 @item @code{useXIM} (class @code{UseXIM})
334 @cindex XIM
335 @cindex X input methods
336 @cindex input methods, X
337 Turn off use of X input methods (XIM) if @samp{false} or @samp{off}.
338 This is only relevant if your Emacs is actually built with XIM
339 support. It is potentially useful to turn off XIM for efficiency,
340 especially slow X client/server links.
341
342 @item @code{verticalScrollBars} (class @code{ScrollBars})
343 Give frames scroll bars if @samp{on}; don't have scroll bars if
344 @samp{off}.
345
346 @ifnottex
347 @item @code{visualClass} (class @code{VisualClass})
348 Specify the ``visual'' that X should use. This tells X how to handle
349 colors.
350
351 The value should start with one of @samp{TrueColor},
352 @samp{PseudoColor}, @samp{DirectColor}, @samp{StaticColor},
353 @samp{GrayScale}, and @samp{StaticGray}, followed by
354 @samp{-@var{depth}}, where @var{depth} is the number of color planes.
355 Most terminals only allow a few ``visuals,'' and the @samp{dpyinfo}
356 program outputs information saying which ones.
357 @end ifnottex
358 @end table
359
360 @node Face Resources
361 @appendixsec X Resources for Faces
362
363 You can use resources to customize the appearance of particular
364 faces (@pxref{Faces}):
365
366 @table @code
367 @item @var{face}.attributeForeground
368 Foreground color for face @var{face}.
369 @item @var{face}.attributeBackground
370 Background color for face @var{face}.
371 @item @var{face}.attributeUnderline
372 Underline flag for face @var{face}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
373 yes.
374 @item @var{face}.attributeStrikeThrough
375 @itemx @var{face}.attributeOverline
376 @itemx @var{face}.attributeBox
377 @itemx @var{face}.attributeInverse
378 Likewise, for other boolean font attributes.
379 @item @var{face}.attributeStipple
380 The name of a pixmap data file to use for the stipple pattern, or
381 @code{false} to not use stipple for the face @var{face}.
382 @item @var{face}.attributeBackgroundPixmap
383 The background pixmap for the face @var{face}. Should be a name of a
384 pixmap file or @code{false}.
385 @item @var{face}.attributeFont
386 Font name (full XFD name or valid X abbreviation) for face @var{face}.
387 Instead of this, you can specify the font through separate attributes.
388 @end table
389
390 Instead of using @code{attributeFont} to specify a font name, you can
391 select a font through these separate attributes:
392
393 @table @code
394 @item @var{face}.attributeFamily
395 Font family for face @var{face}.
396 @item @var{face}.attributeHeight
397 Height of the font to use for face @var{face}: either an integer
398 specifying the height in units of 1/10@dmn{pt}, or a floating point
399 number that specifies a scale factor to scale the underlying face's
400 default font, or a function to be called with the default height which
401 will return a new height.
402 @item @var{face}.attributeWidth
403 @itemx @var{face}.attributeWeight
404 @itemx @var{face}.attributeSlant
405 Each of these resources corresponds to a like-named font attribute,
406 and you write the resource value the same as the symbol you would use
407 for the font attribute value.
408 @item @var{face}.attributeBold
409 Bold flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeWeight}. Use @samp{on} or @samp{true} for
410 yes.
411 @item @var{face}.attributeItalic
412 Italic flag for face @var{face}---instead of @code{attributeSlant}.
413 @end table
414
415 @node Lucid Resources
416 @appendixsec Lucid Menu X Resources
417 @cindex Menu X Resources (Lucid widgets)
418 @cindex Lucid Widget X Resources
419
420 @ifnottex
421 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
422 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget and
423 has its own resources. The resource names contain @samp{pane.menubar}
424 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or @samp{Emacs},
425 which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them like this:
426
427 @example
428 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{resource}: @var{value}
429 @end example
430
431 @noindent
432 For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items,
433 write this:
434 @end ifnottex
435 @iftex
436 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
437 with the Lucid menu widgets, then the menu bar is a separate widget
438 and has its own resources. The resource specifications start with
439 @samp{Emacs.pane.menubar}---for instance, to specify the font
440 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
441 @end iftex
442
443 @example
444 Emacs.pane.menubar.font: 8x16
445 @end example
446
447 @noindent
448 Resources for @emph{non-menubar} toolkit pop-up menus have
449 @samp{menu*} instead of @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify
450 the font @samp{8x16} for the pop-up menu items, write this:
451
452 @example
453 Emacs.menu*.font: 8x16
454 @end example
455
456 @noindent
457 For dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog*}:
458
459 @example
460 Emacs.dialog*.font: 8x16
461 @end example
462
463 @noindent
464 The Lucid menus can display multilingual text in your locale. For
465 more information about fontsets see the man page for
466 @code{XCreateFontSet}. To enable multilingual menu text you specify a
467 @code{fontSet} resource instead of the font resource. If both
468 @code{font} and @code{fontSet} resources are specified, the
469 @code{fontSet} resource is used.
470
471 Thus, to specify @samp{-*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*,*}
472 for both the popup and menu bar menus, write this:
473
474 @example
475 Emacs*menu*fontSet: -*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*,*
476 @end example
477
478 @noindent
479 The @samp{*menu*} as a wildcard matches @samp{pane.menubar} and
480 @samp{menu@dots{}}.
481
482 Experience shows that on some systems you may need to add
483 @samp{shell.}@: before the @samp{pane.menubar} or @samp{menu*}. On
484 some other systems, you must not add @samp{shell.}. The generic wildcard
485 approach should work on both kinds of systems.
486
487 Here is a list of the specific resources for menu bars and pop-up menus:
488
489 @table @code
490 @item font
491 Font for menu item text.
492 @item fontSet
493 Fontset for menu item text.
494 @item foreground
495 Color of the foreground.
496 @item background
497 Color of the background.
498 @item buttonForeground
499 In the menu bar, the color of the foreground for a selected item.
500 @ifnottex
501 @item horizontalSpacing
502 Horizontal spacing in pixels between items. Default is 3.
503 @item verticalSpacing
504 Vertical spacing in pixels between items. Default is 2.
505 @item arrowSpacing
506 Horizontal spacing between the arrow (which indicates a submenu) and
507 the associated text. Default is 10.
508 @item shadowThickness
509 Thickness of shadow line around the widget. Default is 1.
510
511 Also determines the thickness of shadow lines around other objects,
512 for instance 3D buttons and arrows. If you have the impression that
513 the arrows in the menus do not stand out clearly enough or that the
514 difference between ``in'' and ``out'' buttons is difficult to see, set
515 this to 2. If you have no problems with visibility, the default
516 probably looks better. The background color may also have some effect
517 on the contrast.
518 @end ifnottex
519 @item margin
520 The margin of the menu bar, in characters. Default is 1.
521 @end table
522
523 @ifnottex
524 @node LessTif Resources
525 @appendixsec LessTif Menu X Resources
526 @cindex Menu X Resources (LessTif widgets)
527 @cindex LessTif Widget X Resources
528
529 If the Emacs installed at your site was built to use the X toolkit
530 with the LessTif or Motif widgets, then the menu bar, the dialog
531 boxes, the pop-up menus, and the file-selection box are separate
532 widgets and have their own resources.
533
534 The resource names for the menu bar contain @samp{pane.menubar}
535 (following, as always, the name of the Emacs invocation, or
536 @samp{Emacs}, which stands for all Emacs invocations). Specify them
537 like this:
538
539 @smallexample
540 Emacs.pane.menubar.@var{subwidget}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
541 @end smallexample
542
543 Each individual string in the menu bar is a subwidget; the subwidget's
544 name is the same as the menu item string. For example, the word
545 @samp{File} in the menu bar is part of a subwidget named
546 @samp{emacs.pane.menubar.File}. Most likely, you want to specify the
547 same resources for the whole menu bar. To do this, use @samp{*} instead
548 of a specific subwidget name. For example, to specify the font
549 @samp{8x16} for the menu-bar items, write this:
550
551 @smallexample
552 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
553 @end smallexample
554
555 @noindent
556 This also specifies the resource value for submenus.
557
558 Each item in a submenu in the menu bar also has its own name for X
559 resources; for example, the @samp{File} submenu has an item named
560 @samp{Save (current buffer)}. A resource specification for a submenu
561 item looks like this:
562
563 @smallexample
564 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{item}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
565 @end smallexample
566
567 @noindent
568 For example, here's how to specify the font for the @samp{Save (current
569 buffer)} item:
570
571 @smallexample
572 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.File.Save (current buffer).fontList: 8x16
573 @end smallexample
574
575 @noindent
576 For an item in a second-level submenu, such as @samp{Complete Word}
577 under @samp{Spell Checking} under @samp{Tools}, the resource fits this
578 template:
579
580 @smallexample
581 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.@var{menu}.@var{resource}: @var{value}
582 @end smallexample
583
584 @noindent
585 For example,
586
587 @smallexample
588 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.popup_*.Spell Checking.Complete Word: @var{value}
589 @end smallexample
590
591 @noindent
592 (This should be one long line.)
593
594 It's impossible to specify a resource for all the menu-bar items
595 without also specifying it for the submenus as well. So if you want the
596 submenu items to look different from the menu bar itself, you must ask
597 for that in two steps. First, specify the resource for all of them;
598 then, override the value for submenus alone. Here is an example:
599
600 @smallexample
601 Emacs.pane.menubar.*.fontList: 8x16
602 Emacs.pane.menubar.popup_*.fontList: 8x16
603 @end smallexample
604
605 @noindent
606 For LessTif pop-up menus, use @samp{menu*} instead of
607 @samp{pane.menubar}. For example, to specify the font @samp{8x16} for
608 the pop-up menu items, write this:
609
610 @smallexample
611 Emacs.menu*.fontList: 8x16
612 @end smallexample
613
614 @noindent
615 For LessTif dialog boxes, use @samp{dialog} instead of @samp{menu}:
616
617 @example
618 Emacs.dialog*.fontList: 8x16
619 Emacs.dialog*.foreground: hotpink
620 @end example
621
622 To specify resources for the LessTif file-selection box, use
623 @samp{fsb*}, like this:
624
625 @example
626 Emacs.fsb*.fontList: 8x16
627 @end example
628
629 @iftex
630 @medbreak
631 @end iftex
632 Here is a list of the specific resources for LessTif menu bars and
633 pop-up menus:
634
635 @table @code
636 @item armColor
637 The color to show in an armed button.
638 @item fontList
639 The font to use.
640 @item marginBottom
641 @itemx marginHeight
642 @itemx marginLeft
643 @itemx marginRight
644 @itemx marginTop
645 @itemx marginWidth
646 Amount of space to leave around the item, within the border.
647 @item borderWidth
648 The width of the border around the menu item, on all sides.
649 @item shadowThickness
650 The width of the border shadow.
651 @item bottomShadowColor
652 The color for the border shadow, on the bottom and the right.
653 @item topShadowColor
654 The color for the border shadow, on the top and the left.
655 @end table
656 @end ifnottex
657
658
659 @node GTK resources
660 @appendixsec GTK resources
661 @iftex
662 The most common way to customize the GTK widgets Emacs uses (menus, dialogs
663 tool bars and scroll bars) is by choosing an appropriate theme, for example
664 with the GNOME theme selector. You can also do Emacs specific customization
665 by inserting GTK style directives in the file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. Some GTK
666 themes ignore customizations in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} so not everything
667 works with all themes. To customize Emacs font, background, faces, etc., use
668 the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}). We will present some examples of
669 customizations here, but for a more detailed description, see the online manual
670
671 The first example is just one line. It changes the font on all GTK widgets
672 to courier with size 12:
673
674 @smallexample
675 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
676 @end smallexample
677
678 The thing to note is that the font name is not an X font name, like
679 -*-helvetica-medium-r-*--*-120-*-*-*-*-*-*, but a Pango font name. A Pango
680 font name is basically of the format "family style size", where the style
681 is optional as in the case above. A name with a style could be for example:
682
683 @smallexample
684 gtk-font-name = "helvetica bold 10"
685 @end smallexample
686
687 To customize widgets you first define a style and then apply the style to
688 the widgets. Here is an example that sets the font for menus, but not
689 for other widgets:
690
691 @smallexample
692 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
693 style "menufont"
694 @{
695 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
696 @}
697
698 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
699 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
700 @end smallexample
701
702 The widget name in this example contains wildcards, so the style will be
703 applied to all widgets that match "*emacs-menuitem*". The widgets are
704 named by the way they are contained, from the outer widget to the inner widget.
705 So to apply the style "my_style" (not shown) with the full, absolute name, for
706 the menubar and the scroll bar in Emacs we use:
707
708 @smallexample
709 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
710 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
711 @end smallexample
712
713 But to avoid having to type it all, wildcards are often used. @samp{*}
714 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character. So "*"
715 matches all widgets.
716
717 Each widget has a class (for example GtkMenuItem) and a name (emacs-menuitem).
718 You can assign styles by name or by class. In this example we have used the
719 class:
720
721 @smallexample
722 style "menufont"
723 @{
724 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
725 @}
726
727 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
728 @end smallexample
729
730 @noindent
731 The names and classes for the GTK widgets Emacs uses are:
732
733 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
734 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
735 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
736 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
737 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
738 @item @code{Emacs}
739 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
740 @item @code{pane}
741 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
742 @item @code{emacs}
743 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
744 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
745 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
746 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
747 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
748 @item @code{menubar}
749 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
750 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
751 @tab anything in menus
752 @end multitable
753
754 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
755 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
756 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
757 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
758
759 @smallexample
760 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
761 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
762 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
763 @end smallexample
764
765 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
766 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
767 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
768 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
769 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
770 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
771 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
772 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
773
774 @smallexample
775 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
776 @end smallexample
777
778 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
779 the scroll bar:
780
781 @smallexample
782 style "scroll"
783 @{
784 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
785 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
786 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
787 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
788 @}
789
790 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
791 @end smallexample
792 @end iftex
793
794 @ifnottex
795 @cindex GTK resources and customization
796 @cindex resource files for GTK
797 @cindex @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0} file
798 @cindex @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} file
799
800 If Emacs was built to use the GTK widget set, then the menu bar, tool bar,
801 scroll bar and the dialogs are customized with the standard GTK
802 customization file, @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}, or with the Emacs specific
803 file @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}. We recommend that you use
804 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc} for customizations, since @file{~/.gtkrc-2.0}
805 seems to be ignored when running GConf with GNOME. These files apply
806 only to GTK widget features. To customize Emacs font, background,
807 faces, etc., use the normal X resources (@pxref{Resources}).
808
809 Some GTK themes override these mechanisms, which means that using
810 these mechanisms will not work to customize them.
811
812 In these files you first define a style and say what it means; then
813 you specify to apply the style to various widget types (@pxref{GTK
814 widget names}). Here is an example of how to change the font for
815 Emacs menus:
816
817 @smallexample
818 # @r{Define the style @samp{menufont}.}
819 style "menufont"
820 @{
821 font_name = "helvetica bold 14" # This is a Pango font name
822 @}
823
824 # @r{Specify that widget type @samp{*emacs-menuitem*} uses @samp{menufont}.}
825 widget "*emacs-menuitem*" style "menufont"
826 @end smallexample
827
828 Here is a more elaborate example, showing how to change the parts of
829 the scroll bar:
830
831 @smallexample
832 style "scroll"
833 @{
834 fg[NORMAL] = "red"@ @ @ @ @ # @r{The arrow color.}
835 bg[NORMAL] = "yellow"@ @ # @r{The thumb and background around the arrow.}
836 bg[ACTIVE] = "blue"@ @ @ @ # @r{The trough color.}
837 bg[PRELIGHT] = "white"@ # @r{The thumb color when the mouse is over it.}
838 @}
839
840 widget "*verticalScrollBar*" style "scroll"
841 @end smallexample
842
843 There are also parameters that affect GTK as a whole. For example,
844 the property @code{gtk-font-name} sets the default font for GTK. You
845 must use Pango font names (@pxref{GTK styles}). A GTK resources file
846 that just sets a default font looks like this:
847
848 @smallexample
849 gtk-font-name = "courier 12"
850 @end smallexample
851
852 The GTK resources file is fully described in the GTK API document.
853 This can be found in
854 @file{@var{prefix}/share/gtk-doc/html/gtk/gtk-resource-files.html},
855 where @file{prefix} is the directory in which the GTK libraries were
856 installed (usually @file{/usr} or @file{/usr/local}). You can also
857 find the document online, at
858 @uref{http://developer.gnome.org/doc/API/2.0/gtk/gtk-Resource-Files.html}.
859
860 @menu
861 * GTK widget names:: How widgets in GTK are named in general.
862 * GTK Names in Emacs:: GTK widget names in Emacs.
863 * GTK styles:: What can be customized in a GTK widget.
864 @end menu
865
866 @node GTK widget names
867 @appendixsubsec GTK widget names
868 @cindex GTK widget names
869
870 A GTK widget is specified by its @dfn{widget class} and
871 @dfn{widget name}. The widget class is the type of the widget: for
872 example, @code{GtkMenuBar}. The widget name is the name given to a
873 specific widget. A widget always has a class, but need not have a
874 name.
875
876 @dfn{Absolute names} are sequences of widget names or widget
877 classes, corresponding to hierarchies of widgets embedded within
878 other widgets. For example, if a @code{GtkWindow} named @code{top}
879 contains a @code{GtkVBox} named @code{box}, which in turn contains
880 a @code{GtkMenuBar} called @code{menubar}, the absolute class name
881 of the menu-bar widget is @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}, and
882 its absolute widget name is @code{top.box.menubar}.
883
884 When assigning a style to a widget, you can use the absolute class
885 name or the absolute widget name.
886
887 There are two commands to specify changes for widgets:
888
889 @table @asis
890 @item @code{widget_class}
891 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name.
892
893 @item @code{widget}
894 specifies a style for widgets based on the absolute class name,
895 or just the class.
896 @end table
897
898 @noindent
899 You must specify the class and the style in double-quotes, and put
900 these commands at the top level in the GTK customization file, like
901 this:
902
903 @smallexample
904 style "menufont"
905 @{
906 font_name = "helvetica bold 14"
907 @}
908
909 widget "top.box.menubar" style "menufont"
910 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "menufont"
911 @end smallexample
912
913 Matching of absolute names uses shell wildcard syntax: @samp{*}
914 matches zero or more characters and @samp{?} matches one character.
915 This example assigns @code{base_style} to all widgets:
916
917 @smallexample
918 widget "*" style "base_style"
919 @end smallexample
920
921 Given the absolute class name @code{GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar}
922 and the corresponding absolute widget name @code{top.box.menubar}, all
923 these examples specify @code{my_style} for the menu bar:
924
925 @smallexample
926 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
927 widget_class "GtkWindow.*.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
928 widget_class "*GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
929 widget "top.box.menubar" style "my_style"
930 widget "*box*menubar" style "my_style"
931 widget "*menubar" style "my_style"
932 widget "*menu*" style "my_style"
933 @end smallexample
934
935 @node GTK Names in Emacs
936 @appendixsubsec GTK Widget Names in Emacs
937 @cindex GTK widget names
938 @cindex GTK widget classes
939
940 In Emacs, the top level widget for a frame is a @code{GtkWindow}
941 that contains a @code{GtkVBox}. The @code{GtkVBox} contains the
942 @code{GtkMenuBar} and a @code{GtkFixed} widget. The vertical scroll
943 bars, @code{GtkVScrollbar}, are contained in the @code{GtkFixed}
944 widget. The text you write in Emacs is drawn in the @code{GtkFixed}
945 widget.
946
947 Dialogs in Emacs are @code{GtkDialog} widgets. The file dialog is a
948 @code{GtkFileSelection} widget.
949
950 @noindent
951 To set a style for the menu bar using the absolute class name, use:
952
953 @smallexample
954 widget_class "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkMenuBar" style "my_style"
955 @end smallexample
956
957 @noindent
958 For the scroll bar, the absolute class name is:
959
960 @smallexample
961 widget_class
962 "GtkWindow.GtkVBox.GtkFixed.GtkVScrollbar"
963 style "my_style"
964 @end smallexample
965
966 @noindent
967 The names for the emacs widgets, and their classes, are:
968
969 @multitable {@code{verticalScrollbar plus}} {@code{GtkFileSelection} and some}
970 @item @code{emacs-filedialog}
971 @tab @code{GtkFileSelection}
972 @item @code{emacs-dialog}
973 @tab @code{GtkDialog}
974 @item @code{Emacs}
975 @tab @code{GtkWindow}
976 @item @code{pane}
977 @tab @code{GtkVHbox}
978 @item @code{emacs}
979 @tab @code{GtkFixed}
980 @item @code{verticalScrollBar}
981 @tab @code{GtkVScrollbar}
982 @item @code{emacs-toolbar}
983 @tab @code{GtkToolbar}
984 @item @code{menubar}
985 @tab @code{GtkMenuBar}
986 @item @code{emacs-menuitem}
987 @tab anything in menus
988 @end multitable
989
990 @noindent
991 Thus, for Emacs you can write the two examples above as:
992
993 @smallexample
994 widget "Emacs.pane.menubar" style "my_style"
995 widget "Emacs.pane.emacs.verticalScrollBar" style "my_style"
996 @end smallexample
997
998 GTK absolute names are quite strange when it comes to menus
999 and dialogs. The names do not start with @samp{Emacs}, as they are
1000 free-standing windows and not contained (in the GTK sense) by the
1001 Emacs GtkWindow. To customize the dialogs and menus, use wildcards like this:
1002
1003 @smallexample
1004 widget "*emacs-dialog*" style "my_dialog_style"
1005 widget "*emacs-filedialog* style "my_file_style"
1006 widget "*emacs-menuitem* style "my_menu_style"
1007 @end smallexample
1008
1009 If you specify a customization in @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}, then it
1010 automatically applies only to Emacs, since other programs don't read
1011 that file. For example, the drop down menu in the file dialog can not
1012 be customized by any absolute widget name, only by an absolute class
1013 name. This is because the widgets in the drop down menu do not
1014 have names and the menu is not contained in the Emacs GtkWindow. To
1015 have all menus in Emacs look the same, use this in
1016 @file{~/.emacs.d/gtkrc}:
1017
1018 @smallexample
1019 widget_class "*Menu*" style "my_menu_style"
1020 @end smallexample
1021
1022 @node GTK styles
1023 @appendixsubsec GTK styles
1024 @cindex GTK styles
1025
1026 In a GTK style you specify the appearance widgets shall have. You
1027 can specify foreground and background color, background pixmap and
1028 font. The edit widget (where you edit the text) in Emacs is a GTK
1029 widget, but trying to specify a style for the edit widget will have no
1030 effect. This is so that Emacs compiled for GTK is compatible with
1031 Emacs compiled for other X toolkits. The settings for foreground,
1032 background and font for the edit widget is taken from the X resources;
1033 @pxref{Resources}. Here is an example of two style declarations,
1034 @samp{default} and @samp{ruler}:
1035
1036 @smallexample
1037 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1038
1039 style "default"
1040 @{
1041 font_name = "helvetica 12"
1042
1043 bg[NORMAL] = @{ 0.83, 0.80, 0.73 @}
1044 bg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1045 bg[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.77, 0.77, 0.66 @}
1046 bg[ACTIVE] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1047 bg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.0, 0.55, 0.55 @}
1048
1049 fg[NORMAL] = "black"
1050 fg[SELECTED] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1051 fg[ACTIVE] = "black"
1052 fg[PRELIGHT] = @{ 0.9, 0.9, 0.9 @}
1053
1054 base[INSENSITIVE] = "#777766"
1055 text[INSENSITIVE] = @{ 0.60, 0.65, 0.57 @}
1056
1057 bg_pixmap[NORMAL] = "background.xpm"
1058 bg_pixmap[INSENSITIVE] = "background.xpm"
1059 bg_pixmap[ACTIVE] = "background.xpm"
1060 bg_pixmap[PRELIGHT] = "<none>"
1061
1062 @}
1063
1064 style "ruler" = "default"
1065 @{
1066 font_name = "helvetica 8"
1067 @}
1068
1069 @end smallexample
1070
1071 The style @samp{ruler} inherits from @samp{default}. This way you can build
1072 on existing styles. The syntax for fonts and colors is described below.
1073
1074 As this example shows, it is possible to specify several values for
1075 foreground and background depending on the widget's @dfn{state}. The
1076 possible states are:
1077
1078 @table @code
1079 @item NORMAL
1080 This is the default state for widgets.
1081 @item ACTIVE
1082 This is the state for a widget that is ready to do something. It is
1083 also for the trough of a scroll bar, i.e. @code{bg[ACTIVE] = "red"}
1084 sets the scroll bar trough to red. Buttons that have been pressed but
1085 not released yet (``armed'') are in this state.
1086 @item PRELIGHT
1087 This is the state for a widget that can be manipulated, when the mouse
1088 pointer is over it---for example when the mouse is over the thumb in
1089 the scroll bar or over a menu item. When the mouse is over a button
1090 that is not pressed, the button is in this state.
1091 @item SELECTED
1092 This is the state for data that has been selected by the user. It can
1093 be selected text or items selected in a list. This state is not used
1094 in Emacs.
1095 @item INSENSITIVE
1096 This is the state for widgets that are visible, but they can not be
1097 manipulated in the usual way---for example, buttons that can't be
1098 pressed, and disabled menu items. To display disabled menu items in
1099 yellow, use @code{fg[INSENSITIVE] = "yellow"}.
1100 @end table
1101
1102 Here are the things that can go in a style declaration:
1103
1104 @table @code
1105 @item bg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1106 This specifies the background color for the widget. Note that
1107 editable text doesn't use @code{bg}; it uses @code{base} instead.
1108
1109 @item base[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1110 This specifies the background color for editable text. In Emacs, this
1111 color is used for the background of the text fields in the file
1112 dialog.
1113
1114 @item bg_pixmap[@var{state}] = "@var{pixmap}"
1115 This specifies an image background (instead of a background color).
1116 @var{pixmap} should be the image file name. GTK can use a number of
1117 image file formats, including XPM, XBM, GIF, JPEG and PNG. If you
1118 want a widget to use the same image as its parent, use
1119 @samp{<parent>}. If you don't want any image, use @samp{<none>}.
1120 @samp{<none>} is the way to cancel a background image inherited from a
1121 parent style.
1122
1123 You can't specify the file by its absolute file name. GTK looks for
1124 the pixmap file in directories specified in @code{pixmap_path}.
1125 @code{pixmap_path} is a colon-separated list of directories within
1126 double quotes, specified at the top level in a @file{gtkrc} file
1127 (i.e. not inside a style definition; see example above):
1128
1129 @smallexample
1130 pixmap_path "/usr/share/pixmaps:/usr/include/X11/pixmaps"
1131 @end smallexample
1132
1133 @item fg[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1134 This specifies the foreground color for widgets to use. It is the
1135 color of text in menus and buttons, and the color for the arrows in
1136 the scroll bar. For editable text, use @code{text}.
1137
1138 @item text[@var{state}] = @var{color}
1139 This is the color for editable text. In Emacs, this color is used for the
1140 text fields in the file dialog.
1141
1142 @item font_name = "@var{font}"
1143 This specifies the font for text in the widget. @var{font} is a
1144 Pango font name, for example @samp{Sans Italic 10}, @samp{Helvetica
1145 Bold 12}, @samp{Courier 14}, @samp{Times 18}. See below for exact
1146 syntax. The names are case insensitive.
1147 @end table
1148
1149 There are three ways to specify a color: by name, in hexadecimal
1150 form, and with an RGB triplet.
1151
1152 @noindent
1153 A color name is written within double quotes, for example @code{"red"}.
1154
1155 @noindent
1156 Hexadecimal form is the same as in X:
1157 @code{#@var{rrrr}@var{gggg}@var{bbbb}}, where all three color specs
1158 must have the same number of hex digits (1, 2, 3 or 4).
1159
1160 @noindent
1161 An RGB triplet looks like @code{@{ @var{r}, @var{g}, @var{b} @}},
1162 where @var{r}, @var{g} and @var{b} are either integers in the range
1163 0-65535 or floats in the range 0.0-1.0.
1164
1165 Pango font names have the form ``@var{family-list} @var{style-options}
1166 @var{size}.''
1167 @cindex Pango font name
1168 @noindent
1169 @var{family-list} is a comma separated list of font families optionally
1170 terminated by a comma. This way you can specify several families and the
1171 first one found will be used. @var{family} corresponds to the second part in
1172 an X font name, for example in
1173
1174 @smallexample
1175 -adobe-times-medium-r-normal--12-120-75-75-p-64-iso10646-1
1176 @end smallexample
1177
1178 @noindent
1179 the family name is @samp{times}.
1180
1181 @noindent
1182 @var{style-options} is a whitespace separated list of words where each word
1183 is a style, variant, weight, or stretch. The default value for all of
1184 these is @code{normal}.
1185
1186 @noindent
1187 A `style' corresponds to the fourth part of an X font name. In X font
1188 names it is the character @samp{r}, @samp{i} or @samp{o}; in Pango
1189 font names the corresponding values are @code{normal}, @code{italic},
1190 or @code{oblique}.
1191
1192 @noindent
1193 A `variant' is either @code{normal} or @code{small-caps}.
1194 Small caps is a font with the lower case characters replaced by
1195 smaller variants of the capital characters.
1196
1197 @noindent
1198 Weight describes the ``boldness'' of a font. It corresponds to the third
1199 part of an X font name. It is one of @code{ultra-light}, @code{light},
1200 @code{normal}, @code{bold}, @code{ultra-bold}, or @code{heavy}.
1201
1202 @noindent
1203 Stretch gives the width of the font relative to other designs within a
1204 family. It corresponds to the fifth part of an X font name. It is one of
1205 @code{ultra-condensed}, @code{extra-condensed}, @code{condensed},
1206 @code{semi-condensed}, @code{normal}, @code{semi-expanded},
1207 @code{expanded}, @code{extra-expanded}, or @code{ultra-expanded}.
1208
1209 @noindent
1210 @var{size} is a decimal number that describes the font size in points.
1211 @end ifnottex
1212
1213 @ignore
1214 arch-tag: 9b6ff773-48b6-41f6-b2f9-f114b8bdd97f
1215 @end ignore